Fernando Mendoza, Ashton Jeanty, More Raiders Fantasy Outlook After Kirk Cousins Traded to Vikings

The Fernando Mendoza Era is underway in Las Vegas.

The Raiders traded quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday ahead of the NFL trade deadline for a third-round pick, clearing the way for the 2026 top overall pick to move into the starting role.

And there are obviously plenty of questions about what it means for the fantasy prospects of several players going forward.

We start with Mendoza, who is obviously tough to trust for anybody outside of two-quarterback formats. We haven't seen Mendoza play much outside of garbage time, he doesn't exactly have an elite group of pass-catchers outside of Brock Bowers and the first two matchups of his career will be against the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, two very good defenses.

That's not a recipe for success.

Mendoza should be rostered in all formats (unless you are happy with your current options, obviously), especially considering the schedule eases up substantially after his first two matchups. But you're scratching off a lottery ticket here, not adding a safe bet. Roster him if you have the room, keep him on the bench and see how it all shakes out.

The aforementioned Bowers should remain fantasy's elite tight end. Tight ends tend to be a young quarterback's best friend and the Raiders are very good at generating touches for Bowers. He shouldn't be affected too much by the change.

Running back Ashton Jeanty remains a real enigma. Last week he wasn't a complete afterthought in the run game, splitting carries down the middle with Malik Washington, but he still only managed six rushes for 25 yards. He has remained a reliable option in PPR formats, with 42 catches on the season (the most among running backs in football).

As a checkdown option for Mendoza, there's upside here, but it's fairly limited. He's a flex consideration only at this point.

Finally, Tre Tucker is the player who could be hurt the most by this move, though the Raiders' lack of dynamic pass-catchers plays in his favor. Tucker had developed a nice rapport with Cousins, even if he was a bit boom-or-bust from a fantasy perspective.

Obviously it's unknown what his connection will be like with Mendoza, but the team's lack of other dynamic playmakers at receiver keeps him in the flex conversation.